Beauty Basics for Summer

Hi friends! Summer is in full swing, and with a new season usually comes a new beauty routine. Keyword, usually. I basically keep up with the same routine all year long because I love what I wear and I never want to change it. So this is really just my year round beauty basics, deal with it.

You may notice that there isn’t a mascara on here. I decided not to add it to the list because in my 12 years of wearing makeup, I really haven’t settled on one that I love the most. I jump around from brand to brand, trying out new things and loving them, but then finding an issue with it down the line. I just can’t give you one that I die for, so unfortunately, it’s not included, but mascara is always a staple. Ok, now let’s get down to it!

Revlon Just BittenKissable Balm Stain – I just love these guys. They’re very similar to the Clinique Chubby Sticks, but way cheaper. They retail for less than $7 and you can easily grab them at the drugstore. I’ve got a handful of them because the colors are great but they’re not so opaque that it looks like an actual lipstick. So they add a hint of color and double as a moisturizer, perfect for summer or winter when the cold chaps those kissers.

Benefit Hoola Bronzing Powder – This cute little bronzer is by far my favorite bronzer. I’ve switched between this and a NARS bronzer but continue coming back to this one. I like the compactness of the packaging, and also the little brush is perfect for highlighting cheekbones and your temple. And it’s the perfect shade to provide a sun-kissed glow.

Benefit Brow Zings – This is the one product in my makeup bag that I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT. I discovered it probably three years ago when I got my brows done for the first time at the Brow Bar at the Macy’s Watertower. My eyes were completely opened to the whole idea of filling in brows. It comes with two tiny brushes, a mini tweezer set and one side is a wax, the other side is a powder. Brow Zings make it so simple to quickly and efficiently fill in your brows, and comes in three (I think) different shades. It literally makes so much of a difference, the number of compliments I’ve gotten on my brows is crazy. When I look at pictures of myself from before I discovered this, I actually cringe.

Benefit’s They’re Real! Push-Up Liner – This baby is new in my life (along with everyone else’s) and it’s my new crush. It’s a gel liner that comes out of a pointed rubber tip and flows out perfectly, hugging the lash line the whole way. It honestly is a life changer in terms of the cat eye, making it almost impossible to ef up. Before I bought this one a few weeks ago, my liner was always uneven and I’d given up on it ever being equal, but the day is here people, the day is here!

Benefit’s The POREfessional – Another lifesaver, this primer is a godsend for people with visible pores like myself. Pores suck and there’s just nothing you can do. Well, I mean, you can exfoliate, but that only helps so much. But this stuff is like a silky serum of mystery. A little bit goes a long way, put on before your foundation and your pores are instantly minimized, if not totally erased! Plus it lasts all day! High fives all around!

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation Stick – I love this stuff. It’s become my go-to foundation because it’s really buildable and blendable, but doesn’t look cakey. Cakey makeup is the worrrrst. It’s got a gel formula in the center which I think is why it goes on so smoothly. I wear 310 when I just want an everyday look, but then I also have a 115 and a 340 if I’m highlighting and contouring (here’s a great video tutorial doing just that with this product). These are perfect for that technique because it’s so easy to just draw it on where you need it.

NARS Blush in Orgasm – I’ll start off by saying this blush has over 11,000 5-star reviews on Sephora’s website. If that doesn’t tell you it’s good, than I’m not sure that anything I have to say is going to change your mind. But Orgasm is just perfect for summer, and works with my skin tone year round, in the summer when I’m tan and in the winter when I’m…not. And it’s got some real lasting power, good bang for your buck.